Historic building to see new life in Davenport

A new restaurant, retail business, and a rooftop beer garden are all headed to an historic building in downtown Davenport.

The Union Cigar Building on the corner of Third and Main Streets was built in 1916. Now, local developers Jim Thomson and Big Dog Construction are giving it a new lease on life. A $1.2 million investment will convert the space into a 6,000-square-foot high-end restaurant, new retail store, construction firm offices, and hair salon.

Visitors to downtown Davenport Friday said they were excited to see the redevelopment underway.

“Anytime that you can get new businesses or new growth and take an area of downtown and revitalize it, I think it’s outstanding. It’s excellent, not just for Davenport, but it’s good for all the Quad Cities,” said Kevin Dumser.

Over the next few years, the developers plan to add several floors of apartments, as well as a 2,500-square-foot rooftop beer garden. They also hope to return the building to its World War I era grandeur.

“I think it’s always important to hang onto history, because without history you don’t have a future,” said April Muzzey.

It’s a sentiment echoed by other Quad City residents.

“When you can have a synergy between history and the future, I think that’s always a good thing to do. Restoration of our older buildings and using them for different purposes, I think it could be good environmentally, too, by not tearing down and having to build new,” said Kevin Perkins.

The restaurant, retail business and salon are expected to open by early fall. The building’s additional stories and apartments, though, are likely one to two years away.